A Happiness Audit of Your Business?

Stephanie West Allen
FROM SUICIDAL TO HAPPY WITH SMART CHAINSAW MOVES

Paddi Lund, an Australian dentist, working 60 hours a week, was close to suicide. He made a decision that profoundly changed his life and his success. He decided to focus his practice on happiness.

Paddi took a chainsaw to his reception desk and replaced it with a coffee bar. His patients are now served their choice from a large selection of coffees and teas. He installed a large kitchen and clients are met with the smell of baking bread instead of those dental smells we all know so well.

He took a chainsaw mentality to his client list, too. He fired many of them, keeping only those that met his ideal customer profile.

Paddi also instituted a Courtesy System so that everyone in his office -- both clients and employees -- is treated well. See the Courtesy System here:
http://www.uksmiles.co.uk/courtesy.htm
The System includes simple but effective guidelines, such as: “When you talk about a person who is not present, speak as if they are listening to your conversation.”

He made many other changes to bring happiness to his business. Read about them in his book Build the Happiness Centered Business. The book’s subtitle is: How you can find happiness in your business and reap all the rewards it brings, including increased profits, by following in the footsteps of a crazy dentist.

CRAZY?

What were the results of changing his to a happiness centered business? The door to his office is locked, with no sign on it. One can only become a client if referred by another client; his new clients are by invitation only. He does no advertising. His phone number is unlisted. Paddi now works 22 hours a week and makes three times the average dentist’s income. Not crazy at all.

A HAPPINESS AUDIT

Anything in your workplace to which you should be taking a chainsaw? Is your business happiness centered? No? Then you are not taking one of the most reliable and enjoyable paths to success. Not sure? You might to want conduct a happiness audit.

SMILES ON DEMAND?

Some of you are saying, “Yeah, right. You can’t mandate happiness.” Agreed!

Here’s an amusing story about one CEO who issued an order that his company better be fun or else
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/business_columnists/article/0,1299,DRMN_82_1457517,00.html

You can’t order happiness. Becoming a happiness centered business takes many steps. But, oh, the joy and riches of all kinds that come to the business taking that first step -- following in the footsteps of one happy dentist.

©Copyright 2002 Stephanie West Allen

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About the Author

Stephanie West Allen, JD, brings happiness, humor, and motivation to associations and organizations. http://www.allen-nichols.com
Contact her for a free questionnaire to conduct a happiness audit of your business. mailto:Stephanie@allen-nichols.com